Test: the Myers-Briggs Personality Types – INFP

So, after having taken the strenghts test, I became sort of intrigued by the own personality subject and jumped to the next test.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is one of the most used assessment questionnaire to measure psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. These preferences were extrapolated from the typological theories originated by Carl Gustav Jung into 16 types, resulting from the combination of two dichotomies for four personality types.

The four pairs of preferences or dichotomies are:

Extraversion

vs.

Introversion

Your attitude

Sensing

vs.

iNtuition

Perceiving: how new information is understood and interpreted

Thinking

vs.

Feeling

Judging: the decision-making function

Judging

vs.

Perceiving

Judging or Perceiving when relating to the outside world?

So, when I took the test my type was the INFP (Introvert, Intuitive, Feeler, Perceiver), also called “the dreamer”.

People of this type tend to be: quiet, reserved, and kind; deeply passionate, sensitive, and easilyhurt; loving and dedicated to those close to them; creative, original, and imaginative; curious and flexible in small matters; nonconforming. Initially hesitant and cautious. Slower warm time and need for privacy.

The most important thing to INFPs is their deeply held beliefs and living in harmony with their values.

Till here, it’s all more or less accurate …

From the test: “Their job must be fun, although not racous, and it must be meaningful to them. They need a strong purpose in their work. They want to be recognized and valued, without undue attention given to them. They may become embarrassed when make the center of attention. As a result, they may undersell their strengths in order to avoid being singled out and made to feel conspicuous. They would rather have their worth be noticed gradually over time.“

Yes, again.

Our friends the INFPs frequently enjoy workplaces that are low on bureaucracy, calm, quiet, and allow time and space for reflection. –> yes.
They often like flexible jobs that have little routine, while maintaining a collegial, cooperative atmosphere. –> yes.
INFPs generally prefer to work with pleasant colleagues who are committed to the same values. –> sure, who doesn’t?
They are more likely to praise than criticize fellow employees or subordinates. –> yup.
INFPs rarely enjoy the traditional leadership role, preferring to create their own unique version. They would rather be facilitators than leaders much of the time. As with other NF types, they frequently focus on ideals, both their own and the organization’s. –> not sure I got it exactly but looks pertinent.

Some areas of concern for INFPs can be trying to please everyone, procrastination because of perfectionism, spending too much time in reflection and too little in action, and missing the reality of a situation. –> yes, beside the last point.

Learning to say no and being tougher can help. Action plans (if used!) can be quite useful in helping INFPs move out of the reflection phase.

Introverted Intuition (IN) function

Intuitive people process data through impressions, possibilities and meanings, so the Introverted Intuition function allows a person to have a sense about the future. It is the ability to grasp and get a sense of a pattern or plan. Information that is usually hard to understand and dissect is easily processed through Introverted Intuition.

The NF Temperament (The “Visionaries”)

NFs are introspective, intuitive and highly idealistic. They are subjective, compassionate “feeler” people that desire to contribute goodness and meaning to the lives of others. They are effective at doing this through their nurturing, insightful and encouraging nature. NFs despise conflict. They will do everything they can to make sure their loved ones get along with each other and are happy. NFs are imaginitive, creatively inclined and passionate about their choice causes.

I would say that all these characteristics reflect quite well my personality. Funny enough, when I repeated the test I got as a result INTJ (“the Strategist”). [yup, the test results can vary].

I see myself in some aspects of INTJ (many are common to INFP due to the IN function), but not all. I think INFP suits better to me.

This was the strength of the preferences in percentage:

I = 100% –> definitely introvert!

N = 50% –> Intuition, also very strong (vs. Sensing)

T= 12%–> less strong, in previous test was Feeling vs. Thinking

J = 22% –> less strong, in previous test was Perceiving vs. Judging

Sensing and intuition are the information-gathering (perceiving) functions. Individuals who prefer sensing are more likely to trust information that is in the present, tangible and concrete: that is, information that can be understood by the five senses.

On the other hand, those who prefer intuition tend to trust information that is more abstract or theoretical, that can be associated with other information (either remembered or discovered by seeking a wider context or pattern). They may be more interested in future possibilities. They tend to trust those flashes of insight that seem to bubble up from the unconscious mind. The meaning is in how the data relates to the pattern or theory.

Here I’m clearly on the Intuition side, not only relating to the five senses.

Thinking and feeling are the decision-making (judging) functions. The thinking and feeling functions are both used to make rational decisions, based on the data received from their information-gathering functions (sensing or intuition). Those who prefer thinking tend to decide things from a more detached standpoint, measuring the decision by what seems reasonable, logical, causal, consistent and matching a given set of rules. Those who prefer feeling tend to come to decisions by associating or empathizing with the situation, looking at it ‘from the inside’ and weighing the situation to achieve, on balance, the greatest harmony, consensus and fit, considering the needs of the people involved.

Welcome!

This is my personal blog, where I write about what I learned, mostly about software, project management and machine learning.
Why this name? The blog should help me to navigate into the future using (and not forgetting) the past experiences.
From Europe to the world.